Apple this week released a series of updates for its newest MacBook Pro notebooks and iMac desktops equipped with the high-speed Thunderbolt port, addressing issues related to performance and stability.

Though the latest refresh of MacBook Pros are just two months old, rumors of the next update have already begun, with a new report claiming that the next model will feature a newly redesigned case construction.

Apple this week released an update for its Boot Camp software for running Windows on Macs, and addressed an issues with shutdowns on the new 2011 Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Pro models. But users also say the new update causes problems with adjusting screen brightness.

Apple's revised 13, 15 and 17 inch MacBook Pros deliver Intel's blazing fast new Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 CPUs, new AMD Radeon HD (formerly ATI) dedicated graphics performance on the high end and a new high speed Thunderbolt port, resulting in the fastest notebooks currently available while inheriting the long battery life, the strong, minimalist unibody construction, and the environmentally friendly design of previous year's models.

The Thunderbolt port inside Apple's new MacBook Pro lineup has its own prominent integrated circuit controller that is the fourth-largest chip found inside the notebooks, a teardown of the 15-inch model has found.

At a press conference earlier this morning, Intel offered additional information about its new Thunderbolt interconnect technology being pioneered by Apple in its latest batch of MacBook Pros, noting Apple will have a year long head start in deploying the technology.